How I met your mother
by MrQuinn
Summary: In the not so distant future, Tommy explains to his daughter how he met her mother, and the circumstances leading to them getting married. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **_Power Rangers and all related logos are copyrighted by Saban Entertainment/Disney Entertainment. I am using them without permission, but I have no intention of making a profit. If I do, the guys over at Disney can have it. Ann, Jason and all original characters belong to me. _

_Please take a second to review, its always appreciated._

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**Wednesday July 15th, 2018**

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"It's getting late, you should put the kids to bed."

Tommy leaned over, kissing his wife on the cheek. "I'll check on them and be back in a minute. Wait for me?" he asked.

She nodded. "Of course."

Tommy climbed out of bed, wrapping his housecoat around himself and sliding his feet into his house shoes. As he headed out the door, he paused, staring back his wife as she lay in bed. It was still a shock to him; he finally had a normal life. When he originally moved to Angel Grove a little over twenty-five years ago, his life was turned completely upside down. He was an orphan; unsure of his own origins, living with an adopted family, barely passing any of his classes. He wasn't prepared to be a hero, to lead a team of heroes, but his destiny had other plans for him.

He was put under a spell, forced to fight the only group of people who cared about him. Through it all, his friends never gave up on him, and they were able to break the spell. He joined the team, and after several years and several different incarnations of the group, he led them to victory; defending the world time and time again. Finally, he was able to step down as leader and move on with his life. He headed to college, then grad school, but his true destiny caught up with him again, and he found himself in a position to become a leader again.

Finally, the forces of evil were defeated again, and he was able to settle down with the love his life, get married and start a family. He'd done his best to shield his son and daughter from his past. There was no record of anything from his past, nothing pointing to his former life. He was a different man now, a family man. He was a dedicated teacher, a husband, a father. He kept in contact with his friends over the years, making it a point never to lose touch with the people who meant the most to him in his life, but even when they got together, they never discussed their "glory days". It was as if they never happened.

His wife noticed the strange look on his face. "Honey, are you okay?"

Her question was enough to break his train of thought. "I'm fine dear, really," he nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too, Tommy."

He sighed, heading down the hallway and into his son's room first. Jason was the youngest, named after one of his closest friends. He was surprised to see that Jason was already in the bed, curled up with his favorite teddy bear.

"You're still up buddy?" he asked, walking into the room and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I was waiting for you to tuck me in," he said cheerfully.

He leaned over, tucking his son in tightly, then kissed him warmly on the forehead. "Goodnight Jason."

"Zordon wants a kiss, too."

Tommy couldn't help but smile, leaning over and kissing the bear as well. He found it ironic that his mother chose that name for his bear. It was probably the only reminder of his past, but vague enough that his son would never suspect anything.

"I'll see you in the morning."

"Are we still going to the park tomorrow?" he asked.

Tommy nodded. "Yes, I promise."

"I love you daddy."

"I love you, too."

He turned off the light, but left the door open just enough to allow light from the hallway to seep in, soothing his son. Next, he headed down the hall a bit into his daughter's room. Ann was his oldest child, his first-born, and was truly her mother's daughter. She was spirited, but good-natured. She was always willing to help, and was very curious about everything. He always thought that if one of his children were to ever discover his hidden past, he would be her.

Ann was sitting on his bed, watching television as he walked in.

"Its getting late honey, its time to get to sleep," he said.

"I know, I just want to finish watching the news," she told him.

He turned his attention to the television, sitting down on the bed next to her.

"Once again the city was saved by the Power Rangers, bravely defending the industrial district from a giant monster. The district itself took serious damage, but there were no causalities and no injuries. The identities of the Power Rangers continue to remain secret, and no one has known their true personas since the incident over 16 years ago when invaders were threatening the entire planet. Five teenagers stepped forward, revealing themselves to the world in order to protect civilians. Four of them were students from Angel Grove high, and…"

Tommy picked up the remote, turning off the television. "Its time to get some rest."

"Aww man, come on dad. I just…"

"No buts young lady, its late and you have school in the morning."

"Fine," she reluctantly sighed, laying in the bed and pulling the covers over her. "It doesn't matter, they'll be another report on about the Power Rangers tomorrow. There's one everyday."

"Yes, it's a good thing they're here to protect us," he leaned over, tucking her in. "I'll see you in the morning."

Tommy headed to the door, but was stopped as his daughter called out to him. "Daddy?"

"Yes baby?"

"Tell me again how you met mom," she said.

"I told you, your mother and I use to work together years ago. She left for a while to pursue her career, and when she came back, the two of us got married and had you. End of story."

"That's not what Uncle Adam said."

"And just what _did _Uncle Adam say?"

"There was something about you getting a letter, and how hurt you were about it. He said after high school, all of you went your own ways, and it wasn't until much later than you married mom."

"Well I'll just have to have a talk with your Uncle tomorrow."

"What is it about your past that you don't want me to know dad? Did you do something bad? Were you in trouble? I'm twelve and a half dad, almost thirteen, I'm old enough to know," she assured him.

He sighed. "There's nothing to know Annie, now go…"

He was interrupted as she reached under her pillow, pulling out what looked like a coin. "Does it have anything to do with this?" she asked him.

The sight of it was enough to stop him dead in his tracks. He walked over to him, taking it from her and examining it closely. _'My old power coin,'_ he sighed inwardly. It was damaged, and his wristwatch probably had more power than the coin, but it was still an important part of his past. It had sentimental value to him.

"Where did you get this?"

"I was in the basement going through old boxes and I found it. I found another one, and it looks like it has a bird or something on it. Is it moms?" she asked.

He knew that sooner or later, Ann was going to figure it out. She knew that it was only a matter of time before she stumbled onto something, or before Uncle Adam let something slip, and then she'd know. _'I don't want her to find out on accident, if she's going to know, she should hear it from me,'_ he thought to himself. It was one of the most difficult decisions he'd ever had to make, and while he was positive his wife wouldn't approve, he knew it was for the best. He let out a hesitant sigh, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"You really want to know?"

"Yes daddy, I do."

He nodded. "Okay," he sighed again. "It was about 12 years ago. I was a teacher at Reefside High School at the time. I was working with a group of kids and…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **_Power Rangers and all related logos are copyrighted by Saban Entertainment/Disney Entertainment. I am using them without permission, but I have no intention of making a profit. If I do, the guys over at Disney can have it. Ann, Jason and all original characters belong to me. _

_Please take a second to review, its always appreciated._

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**Saturday, November 20th, 2004**

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"So what's next Dr. O?" Ethan asked as he walked into the room carrying a box, setting it down on the floor next to a group of other boxes.

Tommy sighed. "I'm sealing up the entrance to the cave, and I'm going to dedicate more time to teaching. After all, I'm good at it, and its something I love to do," he told him.

"Yeah, but you're good at _other_ things, too. What happens if Mesagog comes back, or if…" he was interrupted as Tommy shook his head.

"If history teaches us anything, it's that the bad guys don't come back. Besides, if there's another threat to the Earth, it will be up to a new group of rangers to defeat them. You and the others have done a huge service to the entire world, and I thank you for that, but now, our job is done. Its time that we got on with the rest of our lives. But first…" he walked over to the table, picking up a disc. "I'd like you to make a record of what he did here and add it to the information on ranger history. You never know, it just may help another group of rangers in the future."

"You mean like a chronicle? Like the one you made for us? You want _me_ do to it?"

"You're the computer genius. You can use the computers in Hayley's Cyberspace to do it. Shouldn't take you long."

"I'm on it Dr. O, but I'm not sure I know how to…"

"Don't worry Ethan, it'll come to you. When I had to do it, I wasn't sure how to start, but the answers you seek lie beneath you," he told him.

"The what does what?" he shrugged his shoulders with a confused look on his face. "I'll give it a try Dr. O." he paused. "So where are the others? It'll take us all day to move this stuff without them."

"Conner is at practice and Kira had another gig. Don't worry, I called an old friend to help out."

Just then, the entrance to the cave opened, and a man walked out carrying a box. "Tommy, where do you want this?"

Tommy walked over to him, taking the box and taking a quick glance inside. "This is my old morphers and power coin. I'll put this stuff in the basement, you never know when I'll need it again," he paused. "Ethan, this is my old friend Adam from Angel Grove. Adam, this is Ethan James," he introduced.

Ethan extended his hand to him. "You were the black ranger, right?" he asked, recognizing him from the video diary Tommy showed them.

Adam gave a quick glance to Tommy, who nodded, tacitly giving him the okay to talk about it. "Black, then green," Adam corrected, shaking his hand.

"Blue… just blue, but you never know. Maybe I'll get called away to some special _Forever Blue_ mission to the moon."

Adam turned to Tommy again. "You told him about that?"

"I told him everything. He has my trust, they all do," Tommy said with a tone of confidence in his voice.

"That's good enough for me. So, what are you going to do with all this dinosaur stuff? Its nice and all, but its starting to look like a museum in here," Adam mentioned.

"I'm donating most of it to Mercer Industries. Now that Anton is _himself_ again, we'll be working together. I'm going to keep the rest of it for sentimental reasons," he said.

"Speaking of sentimental, guess who I talked to yesterday?"

"Who?"

"Kim," Adam said.

Ethan watched as the look on Tommy's face went completely blank. It was as if all the blood drained from his face, leaving him a pale, emotionless ghost. There was silence between them as Tommy and Adam simply stared at one another.

"Okay, I'll bite. Who is Kim?" Ethan asked.

The mere mention of her name was enough to stop Tommy cold. He was sure after she went to the Pan Globals, he would never see her again. Then, once he received her letter, he was convinced that the feelings between them were over. He did her again during his first mission as a Turbo ranger, but there was no mention of their past together. It was, in his opinion, for the best. _'After all, I have to move on with my life, not look back,'_ he thought.

"Kim is an old friend of mine. I haven't seen her in years," Tommy sighed.

"There's an gymnastics competition here in Reefside tomorrow, and she's competing. I told her I was coming out here to help you pack a few things and asked her to stop by once her practice was over. I hope that was okay," Adam said.

Tommy nodded. "Of course it is. It'll be good to see her again."

Ethan noticed the unspoken tension between them the second _Kim_ was mentioned, and though he knew he didn't know the whole story, he knew enough to know Kim was very important to Dr. Oliver. "I'm gonna go. I'll get started on that chronicle for you Dr. O, and I'll let you know how it turns out," he said.

"Thanks again for your help Ethan," he said.

"Nice meeting you," Adam said.

"You too, see ya round."

Once Ethan was gone, Adam turned to Tommy. "Kinda young, isn't he?"

"Weren't we all when we started this? He's a good kid, and I trust him with my life, just like I trusted you and the others."

"Hey, are you sure you're okay with this whole Kim thing?" Adam asked.

"Yeah, I am. It'll be good to finally have some closure with her. After all, we're older now. Its not like our high school crush means…" he was cut short as Hayley walked into the room.

"Means what Tommy?" she inquired.

"It was a long time ago Hayley. She moved on a long time ago, and its time I move on too."

"Are you sure you can do that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Kimberly was all you talked about while we were in grad school. You still have her picture in your wallet, its obvious you still have feelings for her. This could be your chance to be with her again," she brought up.

:"Guys, I know what you're trying to do, and its okay. I've dated plenty of times since Kim and I broke up, I'm fine."

"Sure, that ski instructor almost ten years ago, and maybe you went out with Katherine a few times, but that's it," Adam said.

"Actually," he glanced over at Hayley. "Hayley and I dated for a while, but when I found the dino gems it became necessary to keep our relationship on a business level. She built the morphers, most of the vehicles and all the equipment in the lab. She's been a big help," he said.

"Going to a dinosaur exhibit doesn't qualify as dating Tommy. Besides, you were so occupied with Kim that you never took it seriously anyway," she paused. "This will be good for you. Go see her, see where you stand with her."

"She'll be at the downtown gym for at least another hour. Go see her, Hayley and I will finish up here," Adam said.

"Are you guys sure?"

"Positive. Now get outta here."

"Aww man, you guys are the best," Tommy said with a smile on his face, walking out the room.

"I hope he finds what he's looking for," Hayley sighed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **_Power Rangers and all related logos are copyrighted by Saban Entertainment/Disney Entertainment. I am using them without permission, but I have no intention of making a profit. If I do, the guys over at Disney can have it. Ann, Jason and all original characters belong to me. _

_Please take a second to review, its always appreciated._

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**Saturday, November 20th, 2004

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Tommy stood outside the Reefside Gymnasium, waiting her for to come out. There was a group of media and news anchors surrounding the building, talking to each of the athletes are the exited the building. He knew it was only a matter of time before _she_ could come out, and then, he'd finally tell her the truth. _'But what is the truth?'_ he asked himself.

Adam and Hayley were right, he wasn't over Kim, and he knew it. He thought about all the relationships in his life that didn't work out because of it; Heather, the ski instructor, who made her intentions toward him very clear. There they were, in one of the romantic places in the world, but all he could think about it was Kimberly. Then, he dated Katherine for a few months, and the two of them got very close, but when it was time to solidify their relationship, he shied away from her, too. It was years before he allowed himself to get involved with anyone again, and when he did, he and Hayley went out for a few months. Granted, they mutually decided it was best to keep their relationship a professional one when he found the dino gems, but even now, he knew that was it only his excuse to shy away from Hayley as well. Part of him always wondered if things could have worked out between them, and it was that part of him that wouldn't allow him to get close to anyone else. He needed to know once and for all what could have been, and now, he was finally going to get that chance.

His thoughts were broken as the doors to the gym opened and _she _walked out. As soon as she did, the media, all of them asking questions, bombarded her. Some fans were on hand as well, asking for autographs. Her coach did his best to fend them off as she made her way towards the car. Making his move, Tommy walked over to her, working his way through the crowd. Kim, signing autographs, continued to smile and wave at everyone.

She reached out, grabbing the slip of paper Tommy handed to her. "Can you make it out to _'my number one fan, Tommy'_?" he asked.

"Of course, to Tom…" he looked up, and they locked their eyes on one another. "Tommy? Oh my God, Tommy. Its so good to see you," she squealed.

"You too. You look great."

"So do you."

"I was going to stop by your place after this, but…"

"I know, Adam told me."

"Kimberly, we have to get moving," her coach reminded her, motioning her towards the car.

"I'm staying at the Reefside Inn a few miles from here. Meet me there, we'll talk," Kim told him.

"Okay," Tommy sighed as Kim climbed into the car, and then watched as she drove away.

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"Kimberly, we're _this_ close to the competition tomorrow, and you can't afford to have any distractions," her coach reminded her.

"Tommy isn't a distraction, he's an old friend. We're just going to talk."

"Is this the same Tommy that you were so crazy about when I met you in Angel Grove? If I recall correctly, you almost decided not to come with me because of him. You're throwing your entire career away if you…"

"We're just friends, and we're just going to talk. From what I hear, he's been going through a tough time the last few months and he just needs someone to talk to. This competition is important to me, and I'm not going to let anything get in the way," she assured him.

"Good," he sighed. "I'm going to go check on the others. Spend time with your friend, but keep it brief. Remember, we have a press conference in two hours, another practice, then one more workout before…"

"I know. I'll be ready."

He simply nodded, heading for the door. As soon as he opened the door, he bumped into Tommy, who was standing in the doorway. "Excuse me, I'm here to see…" he was cut short.

"I know, but don't be long, we've got a busy schedule," he said coldly, stepping around Tommy and into the hallway.

Tommy walked in, closing the door behind him.

"I can't believe you're here," Kim said cautiously.

"I know, it's been a long time."

"You look great."

"So do you."

"I heard you were a ranger again, how'd that happen?" Kim asked, trying to work through the tension between them.

"I was, for a while, but not anymore."

"Were you the red ranger again? Or green? Or white?"

"Actually, black. It's a long story."

"After all this time you're still dedicating your life to helping others. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks. You've been going pretty well yourself. You've won three gold medals in the Pan Globals, and according to the media, you're in a position to do it again," he brought up.

"You've been keeping up with my career?"

"Of course, I knew you'd do well."

"Thanks," she sighed.

Tommy took a deep breath. "Listen, I came here today hoping that…" he paused, trying to choose his words carefully. "I mean, I wanted to know if we…" he paused. "I know you sent me that letter saying that we were…" finally, she interrupted him.

"About that letter, I…"

"No, its fine. I thought there was something between us, but I was wrong. You met someone else, and you're…"

"There was no one else," Kim blurted out.

"What?"

"There was no one else," she repeated.

"But in your letter, you said that…"

"I know what I said, but I thought it was for the best. I was a thousand miles away, and I knew a long distance relationship wasn't going to work. I thought it was best if we moved on with our lives, but there was never anyone else," she said.

"You mean there was…"

"No, never."

"You mean you still…"

She nodded. "Yes Tommy, I do," Kim told him.

"Aww man, why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I wanted to. When I came back to Angel Grove, I wanted to tell you, but you were with Katherine. You were happy. For the first time in a long time you were happy, and I didn't want to come between the two of you. I thought it was for the best," she said.

"I understand, but…"

"Its over now Tommy. It was a long time ago. All that matters now is that I'm here, and you're here, and there's no reason why we can't be together. I know it's been a long time, and we've both changed, but I'm willing to give it a try if you are," she said.

"What about the Pan Globals?"

"After this last competition, I'm leaving. I've fulfilled my dreams, and now, I'm ready to settle down. I bought a house here, in Reefside, and I'm going to make to make my life here, with you," she said.

"You still feel that way after all this time?"

"Yes, I do."

She walked towards him, wrapping her arms around him. He leaned down, kissing her warmly on the lips. He quickly put her arms around her well, the two of them completely engulfed in the moment. Suddenly all the pain and suffering, all the anguish in their lives were gone. For years, he was convinced that it would be at this moment where everything in his life would finally become clear; all the confusion and doubt would be swept away, and there would be nothing left but divine truth…

… he was wrong. Not only did the moment not give him the blinding realization he anticipated, it left him even more confused that he originally began.

He backed away from her slowly. "Kim, I love you. I always have, but…" he paused, amazed that his mind could even come up with the words he was saying. _'This is Kimberly Hart for God's sake,' _he thought to himself. _'She's it. The one. What the hell are you doing Tommy?' _ he took a deep breath, attempting to come to terms with his own thoughts. "I need time to think about it."

"I understand," she sighed. "Are you coming to my competition tomorrow night?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Good. After the competition, I have to head to LA for a few days to wrap up the promotional tour for the Pan Globals, but when I'm done with that, its over. When I get back, we'll talk about it again, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed.

"Tommy," she paused, allowing her sentence to trail off slightly. "I have to know; when I left for the Pan Globals… after I wrote you the letter, was there someone else?" Kimberly asked him.

Tommy's thoughts shifted to Heather, but very briefly. The short amount of time he spent with her was wonderful, but because of his feelings for Kimberly, he never allowed himself to get too close to her. He was completely oblivious to the fact that anything could have worked out between he and Heather. Shortly after that, there was a time where he and Katherine were dating. Things between them got pretty serious- as serious as things could, but in the back of his mind he was never willing to let go of the hope that one day he and Kim would be together again.

"Not really. I dated, but nothing serious."

"Is there someone else now?"

Oddly enough, as soon as she asked him, his thoughts turned to someone else, someone he hadn't truly even considered until that moment. He was surprised that his mind even came up with the concept, but the more he thought about it, the more it seemed odd that he hadn't thought of her before.

"I-I don't know," he paused. "Listen, you have training to do, and I have to finish packing my things. I'll be at the competition tomorrow, and afterwards, maybe you could stop by the house before you head out to LA," Tommy suggested.

"I'd like that."

Tommy leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek one final time, then headed out the room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **_Power Rangers and all related logos are copyrighted by Saban Entertainment/Disney Entertainment. I am using them without permission, but I have no intention of making a profit. If I do, the guys over at Disney can have it. Ann, Jason and all original characters belong to me. _

_Please take a second to review, its always appreciated._

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**Saturday, November 20th, 2004

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Tommy paced back and forth in the living room, waiting for her to arrive. The more he thought about it, the more ironic it became for him. He'd spent so much of his life in regret, wondering if things could have been different between he and Kim. He use to ask himself if he could have convinced her to stay, or if they could have made a long distance relationship work. He wondered who the guy was who swept Kim off her feet, that took her away from him, and now that he knew the truth, it bothered him that he wasted so much of his life concerned about the past. But now, it was time to make a fresh start.

He was no longer a ranger, and had no intention of becoming a ranger ever again. That part of his life was over, and he was ready to begin a new life… with her.

His thoughts were broken as someone knocked on the front door. He hurried over to the door, opening it. "I'm so glad you could make it. I know it was short notice, but…"

"Don't be silly Tommy, I was in town for Kimberly's competition. Besides, I planned on stopping by anyway," she walked in, wrapping her arms around him. "Its good to see you again, its been a long time."

"Good to see you too Kat." Tommy said, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her gently on the cheek.

The two of them walked over to the couch, sitting down across from one another. "Your call sounded urgent, what's going on? Is everything okay?" she asked him.

He nodded. "Yeah, everything is fine, but I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Well, what is it?"

"Do you remember when we were going out?"

His statement struck her as strange. Tommy never liked to talk about when they were going out, even when they were. He was a very private person, never saying too much about the way he felt or the things he was going through. She understood it though. Like Tommy, she too was once under a spell from Rita Repulsa, and even long after the spell was broken, she liked to keep some aspects of her life to herself. She suspected that Tommy was secretive for the same reason. Then, of course, there was _her…_

"Of course I do."

"You were always so sweet to me, and I really cared about you, but I always compared you to Kim. I didn't mean to, but part of me always hoped that Kim and I would end up together again. I never gave our relationship a real chance because of it, and I'm sorry," he said.

"Oh Tommy, I understood completely. She was your first love, and you never got over her," she paused. "You know, I use to imagine that the two of us would get married, grow old together, have children… maybe a few grand children. I use to imagine that our grandson would be a ranger, but he'd try to keep his identity from us. It would be funny that he'd try so hard, but we'd know. Yeah, I was hurt that things didn't work out between us, but I understood. Besides, things worked out just fine for me," she mentioned.

"I heard about you reopening the Youth Center back home, that was nice. We all use to spend so much time there, and I was upset to hear it was shut down. Besides, it gives the kids in the area a place to go to stay out of trouble."

"You'd be surprised how popular Bulk Meyers is. A lot of people hang out there. It's funny to see a group of kids sitting at the bar, and when there's a monster attacking the city, the five of them run off and the Power Rangers magically appear."

"I'm amazed we got away with it for as long as we did."

"Yeah, not to mention the fact that we all wore the same colors everyday. I'm surprised no one thought were in some kind of gang," Katherine laughed.

"Well, I did switch a few times just to throw'em off the track."

"Tommy, why did you call me all the way over here to tell me this? I'm sure I would have seen you at the competition tomorrow. It could have waited," she mentioned.

"I know, but I wanted to tell you that I saw Kim today, and we talked about it. She's quitting the Pan Globals, and she wants us to be together."

"Oh my God, that's great. The two of you can finally…"

"I told her I'd think about it."

"You what? Why? What is there to think about?"

"I'm not over her, I know now that, but I don't know if I'm ready to just stop what I'm doing and be with her either. There are… other things to consider."

"Like what?"

"Well, there's…" he paused. It was strange, but while he was in the hotel room with Kim, he could think of a dozen reasons why he needed time to think, plenty of reasons why it would be wrong to rush into something with her, but now, sitting in front of Katherine, he could only think of one. "There's someone else," he said. "I think,"

"There is? Well who…" she paused, noticing the look in his eyes. "Tommy, I know you feel guilty about what happened between us, but…"

"Its not just that, its that…" he was interrupted as someone else knocked on the door. Tommy stood up nervously, heading over to the door. "Excuse me for a second," he said, opening the door.

Katherine stood up, getting a good look at who it was as they walked in.

"Your call sounded important, what is it? Is everything okay?" as she made her way into the living room, she noticed Katherine. "Katherine, its good to see you again,"

"Same here Hayley," Katherine said, exchanging a friend smile and nod with Hayley.

"I called you both other here because there's something important I needed to tell you. I wanted to tell you before the competition tomorrow. I saw Kim today, and we finally talked about what was going on between us."

"Really? That's great. You can finally stop wondering what could have been and see where things can go between the two of you," Hayley said.

"He turned her down," Katherine mentioned.

"He what?"

"He turned her down. He said there was someone else."

"Someone else? Who?"

"I didn't turn her down, and there isn't anyone else…" he paused. "At least I don't think."

"Is it Heather, the ski instructor?" Katherine asked.

"Is it Randall?" Hayley asked.

"Who is Randall?"

"The principal of the high school. I always thought there was something going on with you two, even when she was evil."

"She was evil?" Katherine asked.

"Yeah, some kind of spell, but we broke it."

"There's always a spell, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"I saw the way you two were looking at each other at the prom, then there was the time at the fossil dig where she fell on top of you The two of you looked cozy together." Hayley brought up.

"She was on top of you?"

"No… I mean yes, but…" he grunted with aggravation. "No, its not Elsa. At least I don't think it is. She is kinda cute though," he admitted.

"Well, who is it?" Katherine asked.

Tommy paused. It was a simple question; straight forward and to the point. There was no aura of mystery there, no hidden agendas, just a question that begged to be answered. _'Who is it?' _Ironically enough, Tommy was still no closer to the answer than he was before all of it started. He hoped that talking to both Katherine and Hayley about it would help him reach some kind of conclusion, lead him to the answers he was looking for, but they'd only succeeded in adding to the confusion.

"Its late, and I need to get some rest if we're going to Kim's competition tomorrow. We'll talk about this then, okay?" he asked, buying himself some more time.

They both recognized that Tommy was under a lot of pressure, and was doing his best to maintain his sanity. Nothing good could come from pressing the issue, and after a good night's sleep, he'd be more included to have his thoughts in order and make a reasonable decision.

"Okay, I'll come pick you up on my way to…"

"No, I have a stop I have to make first. I'll just meet you there, okay?"

"Sure, that's fine."

"Okay. See ya," he sighed.

Both Hayley and Katherine wrapped their arms around him, wishing him a goodnight before they left. As soon as the door closed behind them, he flopped down on the couch, letting out a sigh of frustration.

"Aw man, what am I going to do?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **_Power Rangers and all related logos are copyrighted by Saban Entertainment/Disney Entertainment. I am using them without permission, but I have no intention of making a profit. If I do, the guys over at Disney can have it. Ann, Jason and all original characters belong to me. _

_Please take a second to review, its always appreciated._

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**Sunday, November 21st, 2004

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Up until now, Tommy had been taking the wrong approach to his situation. He'd gone to talk to Kim to find out where he stood with her, and found out more than he bargained for. There was never anyone else; the letter she'd written was a fake. She did what, in her opinion, had to be done so he could move on. What she didn't know was that letter made it even more difficult for him to want to find someone else.

He thought that talking to Katherine about his feelings would help the situation, but they hadn't helped much either. In fact, it made his decision an even tougher one to make. Then, he was sure that talking to Hayley would help him shed light on the problem, but instead, the situation seemed even more complicated than it did before he began.

This time, instead of talking to the people who were directly involved, he thought it would be helpful to talk to an old friend about the situation. He was sure that getting the opinion of someone who didn't have a personal stake in it would be much more objective than he was.

"… so that's the whole story. The competition is in a few hours and they're expecting me to decision what I want to do," he explained.

Must to his surprise, Jason, who had been his closest friend for as far back as he could clearly recalled, laughed at him. "You're serious, aren't you bro?" he asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"What makes you think this is your decision to make? You think all these women are just waiting around for you to pick one of them?" he inquired.

"Aren't they?"

"Bro, honestly, you're a great guy, but that's not the way women are. You haven't been with any of these women in years… technically; you haven't been with _any_ of them. Kissin' Kim at the juice bar isn't really a relationship, hanging out at the Youth Center with Kat isn't a commitment, and taking a girl to a dinosaur exhibit isn't doesn't exactly scream love and romance either."

"I know, but Kim told me she was willing to try if I was."

"Then I don't see the problem here," he leaned forward, taking a sip of his drink. "You've been nuts about that girl since we were in high school. I know you were broken up when she dumped you, but now is your chance to get back together. Take it."

"But I don't know if…"

"What's _not_ to know? You love her, she loves you, right?" he paused. "I know this isn't about Heather, is it?"

Tommy shook his head. "I actually talked to her late last night. She's married now, has a few kids. Its not about her at all."

"So who is it? That principal? I've seen'er, she is kinda…"

"That's just it, I don't know what it is."

"There was a time when I thought things between you and Kat were going to work out. I was surprised when the two of you stopped hanging out," Jason mentioned.

"Yeah, me too."

"I think I know what this is about. You don't want to pick one and have to wonder for the rest of your life what it would have been life if you picked the other. It's obvious you have feelings for Kim, but you still have a crush on Katherine too. Not to mention that principal has the hots for you." He paused. "I heard she use to be evil."

"Yeah, she was under a spell."

"There's always a spell, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"So the competition starts in an hour, and its time for you to make a decision. This isn't about which one you want to pick, or who you'll have to turn away after you pick; this is about what really works for you. Which one of these women can you see yourself with? Which one do you think will make you happiest? Which do you feel most comfortable with? You also need to keep in mind that the woman you pick may not feel the same way as you. Or worse, it may not work out the way you hoped, and once you've made a decision, the others are no longer an option. You think that in six months if you and Kim break up that Kat would take you back? Or if you date the principal and it doesn't work that Kim will still be waiting around for you? Whatever choice you make, be ready to live with the consequences of that decision," Jason explained.

Tommy was convinced that talking to Jason would give him the clarity of thought he needed to come to some kind of conclusion, and in a way, he had, but he'd also left him with even more to think about. If he took everyone's advice and went back to Kim, he would be abandoning all hope of ever being with Katherine again. There was always the chance that another competition of some kind would come along, and then, Kim would be traveling all over the world again, leaving him at home alone. Or worse, leaving him at home with their children. After talking to Katherine, he was left with the impression she was still interested in him. If he decided to be with Katherine, there was a chance that she wasn't interested at all, meaning he'd be giving up his chance to be with either of them. There was a time when he was sure that a relationship would Hayley would have worked out, but the moment he drug her to one of his dinosaur exhibits, he was sure he'd ruined his chances with her. Then, once they found the dino gems, it was just the excuse he needed to keep their relationship a professional one. As for Elsa Randall, he was under the impression that she and Anton Mercer were involved with one another, so he'd never really considered it.

He knew that by picking one of them, he'd be giving up any chance he may have had with any of the others, and the thought of making the wrong decision worried him. Even if he did make his decision; if it didn't work out for any reason, none of the others would even consider going out with him afterwards. He knew that whoever he picked, he had to be sure it would work, because once he made a decision, there was no going back.

"We need to get going, the competition starts in a few minutes," Tommy said, standing up.

"I promised Rocky I'd pick him up."

"I didn't even know he was in town."

"Yeah, we're all here. Adam and Tanya are coming together and Rocky drove up here from Stone Canyon."

"It'll be nice to have the old gang together again. Too bad Billy and Trini can't be with us," Tommy sighed.

Jason took off his hat in a show of respect for Trini. "I miss Trini, a lot."

"You were closer to her than the rest of us, and I know you took her death pretty hard."

"Yeah."

"Come on, let's get going. We don't want to be late," Tommy said.

With a sigh, Jason put his hat back on, following Tommy out the front door.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **_Power Rangers and all related logos are copyrighted by Saban Entertainment/Disney Entertainment. I am using them without permission, but I have no intention of making a profit. If I do, the guys over at Disney can have it. Ann, Jason and all original characters belong to me. _

_Please take a second to review, its always appreciated._

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**Sunday, November 21st, 2004

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Tommy watched on in silence as Kim performed. She was so graceful, so agile; she was in complete control of her surroundings. It amazed him how she was able to maintain her balance on the beam the way she did, flipping and spinning, but somehow always landing on her feet. Even when she was younger, performing in the Youth Center, she was good, but now, he had to admit that Kim was one of the best gymnasts he'd ever seen.

He sat there watching, clapping and nodding along with the others, but truth be told, his mind was a million miles away. He'd try to put it off for as long as he could, trying to give himself the time to think about what he wanted to do. Now, his time was up, and one way or another, everyone was waiting for him to make a decision of some kind. During the competition, he glanced over at Tanya and Adam, who were sitting next to one another. Adam had his arm around Tanya, and she rested her head on his shoulder comfortably. In a way, he envied them. From the moment they met, they knew they were interested in one another. They started dating, decided to date exclusively, and ultimately, Adam proposed to her. It all seemed to easy, so cut and dry. The two of them were happy together, happier than he'd ever seen either of them, and he wondered why it couldn't be that simple for him.

There was a time when he was happy with Kimberly. They never really discussed their feelings for one another, but back then, there was no need to. They were together almost every waking moment of the day. They were in school together, they "worked" together, and in their free time, they were in the Youth Center together. Every now and then they managed to get away from the rest of the group and spend time at the park with one another, and every moment he had with her was special, so there was no need to complicate the issue by talking about it. But now, in retrospect, he wish they had.

After Kim went to the Pan Globals, he met Heather. He was attracted to her, but it was much too soon for him to even consider dating anyone. Besides, she too was in sports, and it would have been a matter of time before some competition drug her half way around the world, keeping them apart. It was one of the main reasons a relationship with Kim wouldn't have worked, and jumping into a similar situation wouldn't have been the wisest decision. Despite her efforts to win her over, Tommy decided that it was best if he and Heather simply remained friends.

His time with Katherine was special to him as well. It was Katherine who made him realize that he had to move on with his life, to get over Kimberly and explore other options. He and Katherine never truly discussed their feelings either, but it was for much different reasons. He was sure that if he tried to complicate things by putting a label on them, it would ruin what they had. He knew how she felt, and she was aware of his feelings for her, and after they stepped down as rangers, they remained quite close. He headed off to school, and the two of them kept in touch as much as they could.

It was in school where he met Hayley. There was something about her, a certain flair that appealed to him. The two of them became friends rather quickly, and soon, found themselves spending a lot of time together. Soon after, he discovered the dino gems, and his life took a drastic turn. Suddenly, he began to shy away from Katherine. It wasn't as if he didn't care for her, but he didn't want to drag her into what he knew would become another situation for her to become a ranger. He knew there was no escaping his destiny, but he didn't want to drag her into it as well. He also began to distance himself from Hayley as well, but it didn't take her long to figure out why. Once she realized he'd found the dino gems, the two of them sat down and had a conversation about it. It was the first time Tommy had realized his secret past to anyone; and much to his surprise, she took it very well. She offered to help him harness the power, creating the dino mophers for him. At the moment they decided to work together, he decided that it was important for them to simply remain friends. He knew that sooner or later, they'd have to use the power they'd found, and he was trying to avoid putting himself in the situation he'd found himself in so many times before with Kim and Kat.

As for Randall, there were times when they felt something. There was chemistry there, an unspoken attraction, but he was always under the impression that she and Anton Mercer were involved somehow, so he never said anything. After the spell Mesagog had over her was broken, she was a completely different person. There was an innocence about her that he found himself drawn to. He wanted to talk to her about it, to express that there was some kind of attraction between them, but expect for a few brief moments here and there, he wasn't sure the feeling was mutual. Shortly after Mesagog was defeated, Tommy became much more interested in putting his life as a Power Ranger behind him and moving on. Before he considered who he was going to be with, that was most important to him, but thanks to an unexpected turn of events, that had changed.

Kim would only be in town for a few more hours, and she was expecting a decision of some kind. Whatever decision he made would directly effect everyone involved. To decide to be with Kim would mean abandoning hope of ever being with any of the others. To decide to be with Katherine would put an end to any possibility of ever being with Kim or Hayley. To make his decision even more difficult, he had to live with the fact that even if he did make his decision, there was no guarantee that the woman he picked would want to be with him too. Kim was his only sure thing. She'd already told him what she wanted to her, what her intentions were. The others, in his opinion, were more interested in seeing what would happen than they were in actually being with him. Whatever he was going to do, his time was up.

His thoughts were broken as the crowd began to cheer. Tommy snapped out of it, clapping as well, giving everyone involved in the competition a standing ovation. The crowd stood up, making their way out the building.

"Kim was amazing in there," Tanya mentioned as they headed towards their car.

"Yeah, she was awesome. I'd seen her work out before, but not like that. She was great," Adam added.

"What did _you_ think Tommy?"

"Huh? Oh, I thought she was great. They all were. It was a good show," he said.

"I've never been to one of these kinds of shows before, but I have to say I was very impressed. All of the gymnasts were extremely good," Hayley commented.

"We're going to head back to the hotel and pack our things, but if you guys wanted to get together afterwards, that would be nice," Adam said.

"Yeah, we should all meet up at Hayley's Cyber Space. Tommy is always ranting about that place, maybe we should all check it out," Rocky suggested.

"I don't know if I can make a smoothie as good as Ernie, but Tommy says it's pretty close," she said.

"Great. We'll all meet there in about an hour?"

"Sounds good to me."

Adam and Tanya said their goodbyes, got into their car and pulled away.

"I'm going to head home too, there's something I have to do, but I'll meet you all there," Jason said.

"I'll go with you, I need to run by my hotel and pick up some things," Rocky added.

Jason and Rocky both got into their car, pulling away as well.

"Well Tommy, looks like its just us," Katherine said, grabbing his arm.

"We could head down to Cyber Space now and I could whip something up for us," Hayley mentioned.

Just then, it was Kimberly who rushed out of the building, running over to them. "Guys," she squealed. "So what did you think?"

"You were awesome out there Kim," Katherine said.

"Yeah, you were great."

"I was hoping to get a few minutes alone with Tommy. Can I steal him away from you for a second?" she asked.

"Actually," Tommy cleared his throat. "I'm glad all of you are here. There's something I need to talk to all of you about, and I'm not sure how to say it, so bare with me here, okay?" he sighed. "Whether you know it or not, the last day or two have been hard for me. I've been doing a lot of thinking about my life and what I want to do," he paused. "Who I want to be with, and I think I know the answer to that now. I think all of you do really," he said.

"Oh Tommy, we're going to be so happy together," Kim said as she ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Kim. I do care for you, and we've been through a lot together, but I think its best if we just stay friends… for now," he told her.

"But Tommy, I…"

"I think this is for the best, I really do," he sighed.

Kim leaned up, kissing him on the cheek. "I understand," she sighed, walking away slowly.

"Tommy, I don't understand, you loved her. She was your whole world, why did you…" she was cut short.

"It was you who taught me that I can be happy without Kimberly in my life. I've been through a lot in the past few months; being a ranger again, putting my life on hold to do what I thought was right, but I'm not willing to put my life on hold anymore. Believe it or not, I'm not as young as I look," he told them.

"So if you don't want to be with Kim, who _do_ you want to be with?" Katherine asked.

He could almost see the hopeful look in her eyes, the part of her that wanted him to say her name. There was a part of him that wanted to say her name, too. Tommy took a deep breath, knowing that his decision was going to change his life forever. Picking one of them would mean alienating the other. He'd thought long and hard about it, and suddenly, now that he was faced with making his decision, it didn't seem as hard as he imagined it would be.

"I think that before I can be with anyone, I have to get my life in order. Eventually, I'd like to settle down, get married, maybe even have a baby, but not right now. I've been stressing myself out over the last few days thinking I had to make a decision right now, but the truth is I'm ready to be with anyone yet," he explained.

"Sounds like you really have thought about it," Hayley said.

"I have."

Katherine leaned over, kissing him on the cheek. "Whenever you're ready," she sighed, walking away.

Hayley could see that Tommy's decision wasn't made lightly, and that it hurt him to say what he said. She wrapped her arm around him. "We've got a little time before the others make it to Cyber Space, let me make you a smoothie," she sighed.

Tommy smiled.


	7. Conclusion

**Disclaimer: **_Power Rangers and all related logos are copyrighted by Saban Entertainment/Disney Entertainment. I am using them without permission, but I have no intention of making a profit. If I do, the guys over at Disney can have it. Ann, Jason and all original characters belong to me. _

_Please take a second to review, its always appreciated._

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**Wednesday July 15th, 2018**

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"But in your story, you didn't pick anyone," Ann pointed out.

"At that moment in my life, I wasn't ready to make a decision like that. Once I got my life in order, I started dating your mother. Shortly after that, your mother and I were married. You were born a year later, and the rest is history," he explained.

"So you were a Power Ranger?" she asked.

"Yes, but that was a long time ago. Now I'm just a teacher. Its important that you don't tell anyone else about this, not even your brother," he said.

"Can I talk to mom about it?"

"Your mother would go crazy if she knew I told you. We promised that we would never tell you or Jason about it. We wanted the two of you to have normal lives. You can't tell anyone about this."

"I won't daddy, I promise."

"I know you won't sweetie," he leaned down, kissing her on the forehead. "Its way passed your bedtime, get some rest," he told her, standing up.

"Goodnight daddy."

"Goodnight baby," he said, walking out the room.

He quickly walked down the hall, peeking in on Jason, who was already fast asleep, then headed back to his room, where his wife was fast asleep. He closed the door behind him, then walked over to her, kissing her warmly on the cheek. "Sorry I took so long honey, Ann wanted to hear a bedtime story," he said.

She opened her eyes slowly, smiling slightly. "You spoil her, you know that?"

"What can I say? She's daddy's little girl."

Tommy took off his housecoat, tossing it on the chair across the room, then climbed into bed. His wife rolled over, resting her head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her. "Do you regret any of it? Making the decision you made, settling down, starting a family?" she asked him.

He recalled how difficult it was for him to come to a decision; how stressful things were for him at the time. Picking one person that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, or worse, trying to determine who he _didn't_ want to be with. It was a decision that he was sure, in his opinion, he didn't make lightly, but he was convinced he'd made the right choice. After all, he and his wife had history together. They'd worked together to save the world from evil, they'd grown together, shared experiences with one another that many other people never had a chance to. Sure, there were times when he thought about how his life would have been different if he'd made a different decision, but there were no regrets.

"No, none of it. If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing," he paused. "Well maybe one thing."

"What?"

"I wouldn't have taken you to a dino exhibit on our first date," he said.

She smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too, Hayley," he sighed.

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**END**  



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